He told reporters: "There are some similarities between Bale and Messi. There are similarities in the way they play and their characteristics.

"They are both very quick, both left-footed and they both have a winning mentality.

"It is clear Bale is very decisive in how his team plays, although maybe not as much as Messi.

"He is a very decisive player – an amazing player because of his speed, his strength and his goalscoring ability. He has showed that throughout this season and I rate him very highly.

"He is in the top 10 players in the world. When we talk about the world's best players they can play in any league of the world. In this context, Bale can succeed in La Liga but it would be a great loss to the Premier League if he goes."